Tuesday, February 15, 2011

February 12, 2011

University of California Irvine - Those light-emitting diodes marketed as safe, environmentally preferable alternatives to traditional light bulbs actually contain lead, arsenic and a dozen other potentially hazardous substances, according to newly published research.

“LEDs are touted as the next generation of lighting. But as we try to find better products that do not deplete energy resources or contribute to global warming, we have to be vigilant about the toxicity hazards of those marketed as replacements,” said Oladele Ogunseitan, chair of UC Irvine’s Department of Population Health & Disease Prevention.

He and fellow scientists at UCI and UC Davis crunched, leached and measured the tiny, multicolored light bulbs sold in Christmas strands; red, yellow and green traffic lights; and automobile headlights and brake lights. Their findings? Low-intensity red lights contained up to eight times the amount of lead allowed under California law, but in general, high-intensity, brighter bulbs had more contaminants than lower ones. White bulbs contained the least lead, but had high levels of nickel.

Lead, arsenic and many additional metals discovered in the bulbs or their related parts have been linked in hundreds of studies to different cancers, neurological damage, kidney disease, hypertension, skin rashes and other illnesses. The copper used in some LEDs also poses an ecological threat to fish, rivers and lakes.

Ogunseitan said that breaking a single light and breathing fumes would not automatically cause cancer, but could be a tipping point on top of chronic exposure to another carcinogen. And – noting that lead tastes sweet – he warned that small children could be harmed if they mistake the bright lights for candy.

He cites LEDs as a perfect example of the need to mandate product replacement testing. The diodes are widely hailed as safer than compact fluorescent bulbs, which contain dangerous mercury. But, he said, they weren’t properly tested for potential environmental health impacts before being marketed as the preferred alternative to inefficient incandescent bulbs, now being phased out under California law. A long-planned state regulation originally set to take effect Jan. 1 would have required advance testing of such replacement products. But it was opposed by industry groups, a less stringent version was substituted, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger placed the law on hold days before he left office.

LED lighting is considered to be the most efficient form of artificial illumination and even beats out the best and most efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. LEDs have been used since the 1960s and 70s and today they are used in everything from streetlights to laptop and television displays to holiday string lights. LEDs have long been the most efficient option and many manufacturers and companies market the LED bulbs as an environmentally friendly option. But a current study from the University of California-Irvine shows that the environmental benefits of LED lighting is offset by the potentially hazardous substances, including arsenic, found in the bulbs. Researchers from University of California-Irvine's School of Social Ecology and Program in Public Health analyzed red, yellow, green, and blue LEDs in low and high intensities to see the composition of each. They chose lights that would commonly be found on the typical Christmas tree lights and then ground up the contents of each bulb in order to analyze the different substances, specifically a wide range of heavy metals.

In the LEDs, the researchers found toxic chemicals including antimony, arsenic, chromium, and lead, as well as numerous other metals. In some cases, the amount of element was well over the regulation limit. In the low intensity red LEDs, researchers found the lead content was over 8 times the regulatory limit and the nickel content was approximately two and a half times over the limit as well.

Under environmental regulations in the State of California, most LEDs would be classified as hazardous waste and if disposed of in a standard landfill could easily leach into soil and groundwater, causing greater problems. Additionally, damaged LEDs could pose health risks to those handling them and having direct contact with the toxic substances. Unlike incandescent light bulbs, which are widely accepted to be an environmental and health hazard, LEDs fall into the area of discrepancy between state and federal regulations. In California, hazardous waste regulations are extremely strict, but federal EPA standards are more lax so many companies only have to abide by the federal minimum. In terms of the federal EPA standards, many of the LEDs in the study would not require any specialized disposal.

The study determined that arsenic, lead, nickel, and copper would have the greatest impact on human and ecological health due to their ability to bioaccumulate. Researchers stated that further research should be conducted by individual developers and manufacturers of LED products in order to produce the safest products possible for both consumers and the environment after their use. Finally, the study emphasized the fact that while LEDs are incredibly efficient, they are not completely environmentally friendly and simply carry different environmental and health risks than their counterparts.

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Vu1 in Talks With U.S. Retail ‘Big Boys’ to Sell Light Bulbs

Vu1 Corp., a lighting-technology developer, is holding talks with two major U.S. retailers to sell its new energy-efficient light bulbs, Chief Executive Officer Philip Styles said in an interview.

The New York-based company has started production at its factory at Olomouc in the Czech Republic, and Styles said he hopes to have arrangements with big U.S. retailers by the middle of the year.

“We’re in discussion with major retailers here in the United States,” the former Sony Corp. executive said yesterday by telephone. “We’re currently in discussions with two and I’m trying to line up a third one. It’s the big boys here in the States,” he said, declining to name the potential customers.

Vu1 is hoping to win a share of the lighting market as countries including the 27 European Union members phase out incandescent bulbs and the U.S. brings in more rigorous efficiency standards in 2012.

The Czech plant is currently manufacturing “small quantities” and the plan is to ramp up to a rate of 6.8 million bulbs a year by year-end, and 30 million bulbs annually within two or three years, Styles said. A product suitable for Europe markets should be available by the end of 2011, he said.

Vu1 is promoting its lighting as cheaper than LEDs and, unlike the more efficient compact fluorescent bulbs, doesn’t contain mercury, a poisonous substance.

“We’re pitching our product in between the two main competitors at this moment in time,” Styles said, putting the price of Vu1’s bulb at just below $20 compared with about $40 for an LED and $12 to $13 for a compact fluorescent bulb.

The 19.5-watt bulb is priced at just below $20 compared with about $40 for a similar LED and $12 to $13 for a compact fluorescent bulb, he said.

ARTICLES < PreviousNext > Contents (August 2010) Don’t put all your eggs in one basket: LEDs not all they're cracked up to be? (MAGAZINE)Although LED lighting is proving to be useful in many applications, RON DAVIS, a marketing consultant with Vu1 corporation, believes the industry should continue to consider other lighting options.

Many years ago, I was assigned the task of establishing a beachhead of mini-computers in a large Fortune 50 company that had been operating under an “IBM only” buying mandate. I was working for the second largest computer company in the world, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). To set the expectations of the 22-person DEC sales team calling on this account I brought them into the customer’s primary data center. I walked them into a 50,000 square foot “glass house” packed with huge IBM mainframe computers and said “here’s your challenge”. As someone involved with a new lighting technology that is not LED based – I felt the same “challenge” as I walked into this year’s Light Fair. I have commented that the name should have been changed to “LED Fair”. I mentioned on the Vu1 Corporation blog (vu1corp.blogspot.com) that one was hard pressed to find even a CFL at this year’s Light Fair.

This all leads me to suggest that the lighting industry should not be putting all of its “eggs in one basket”. LEDs will likely prove to be a great solution in many applications. They are already showing great promise in automotive, street lights, traffic signals, retail and display applications. Unfortunately, some of the basic characteristics of LEDs may keep them from being the best solution in general illumination lighting. Concerns regarding brightness, spectrum, glare, dissipation, CRI and cost are issues that may not have easy solutions. Recent articles by leading U.S. Department of Energy SSL representatives are confirming that in LED general illumination products are too often over promising and under delivering.

Another consideration often overlooked is the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for LEDs over a reasonable period of time such as 5-6 years. A LED value proposition that is based on 30-50K hours does not hold up when you consider the actual time a homeowner will stay in their current home – 6 years (according to the National Association of Realtors). A light bulb needs to reach breakeven in less than 2 years and start generating measureable savings. It will be a long while before a true direct replacement R30 or A19 LED bulb will come close to offering a compelling 5-6 year TCO. Lastly, the environmentally focused will start to look at the cradle-to-grave environmental cost of LED lighting solutions. When one considers - materials (especially heat sinking), manufacturing processes and the real show stopper - transportation costs (consider the weight of an LED versus a CFL or incandescent) – the LED may end up being a losing proposition.

The CFL industry is currently in a losing battle as they try to down play down their environmental Achilles Heel - the “mercury issue”. If the “small amount of mercury” in the CFL bulbs sold in America over the last 5 years were to end up in landfills potentially gaining exposure to soil and water – it will represent “enough mercury to contaminate every lake, river and stream in North America”. (www.informinc.com). The EPA predicts that – best case – only 25% of CFLs will be recycled. The rest will end up in landfills.

There are several General Illumination energy efficient technologies that should be considered and supported by industry and governments; Halogen Infrared Reflecting (HIR), Photoluminescent Nanofibers (PLNs), induction and of course my favorite, Electron Stimulated Luminescent (ESL).

Vu1 has been working to apply electron physics in a way never before used in general illumination lighting to create a product that essentially duplicates the incandescent light spectrum while being fully dimmable, instant on, trash bin disposable and similar in price and life to a CFL. Vu1 is hoping that industry and governments will want to hedge their bets and not put all their “eggs in one basket”.

By the way, what happened to the “2nd largest computer company in the world” – DEC? They went out of business after 40 years. Why? Because they bet the farm on the mini-computer and refused to acknowledge that there could be a better technology on the way (the personal computer). Their “eggs were all in one basket”.

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This article was published in the July/August 2010 issue of LEDs Magazine. To read the full version of this article, please visit our magazine page, where you can download FREE electronic PDF versions of all issues of LEDs Magazine. You can also request a print copy of LEDs Magazine (available by paid subscription) and sign up for our free weekly email newsletter.

About the AuthorRon Davis is a marketing consultant with Vu1 Corporation.

Seattle, WA – July 27, 2010 - Vu1 Corporation (OTCBB: VUOC), a developer and manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient, general illumination lighting technology, today announced that Gregory Owens, Jr., 31, has been elected to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Owens is a Portfolio Manager at SAM Advisors, LLC (SAMA) and also holds the title of Senior Vice President with Smith Asset Management, Inc. (SAMI) in New York City. Mr. Owens has more than a decade of capital markets experience in the securities industry, including tenures with Citi Global Capital Markets and AG Edwards, before joining SAMA and SAMI in 2008.

As a portfolio manager at SAMA, Mr. Owens’ portfolio holdings reflect deep value and special situation investments, typically purchasing publicly traded assets at what the group feels are steep discounts to their ultimate intrinsic value. Mr. Owens attended Syracuse University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance.

“I am delighted to have Greg join Vu1’s Board at this important stage in the company’s development as we transition from technology development to full scale commercial production,” commented Duncan Troy, Vu1’s Chairman. “We have valued the relationship with SAM Advisors, and now Greg’s deep analytical and capital markets experience will be a great addition to the Board and I look forward to working with him and SAM Advisors, LLC as a trusted partner.”

“My colleagues and I at SAM Advisors have been extremely pleased with the recent activity level at Vu1, and the preliminary order several weeks ago validates our long-term belief in the promise of the Company’s ESL lighting technology,” commented Gregory Owens, Jr. “We have been shareholders for some time and being on the Board allows me to work closely with Duncan and the rest of the Board and the senior management team to ensure the Company capitalizes on its business opportunities, monetizing not only our investment but for every current and future shareholder.”

About Vu1 Corporation

Vu1 Corporation is dedicated to applying its technology to produce energy efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting solutions worldwide. Vu1’s ESL™ Technology creates the same light quality as an incandescent bulb but is more energy efficient. There is no use of the neurotoxin Mercury (Hg) in the lighting process and the ESL™ Technology fits neatly into classic light bulb shapes similar to those familiar to consumers everywhere. This eliminates the need to bend the technology into an unusual, twisted spiral shape (CFL) or have costly and heavy heat dissipation designed into the bulb housing (LED). To learn more about Vu1’s technology, please view the video link http://vu1corporation.com/ESLupdate/ or go to: http://www.vu1.com/

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain the necessary funding required for our operations, the future demonstration and commercial availability of our light bulb, timing for submission of our light bulb to certification and certification results, timing for bulb production, manufacturing capability of our facility, future interest of channel partners and distributors, our strategic planning and business development plans, future applications of the technology, the viability, pricing and acceptance of our products in the market. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, as well as the risks and other factors set forth in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and our other periodic reports as filed from time to time).

Seattle, WA – July [15], 2010 - Vu1 Corporation (OTCBB: VUOC), a developer and manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient, general illumination lighting technology, today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for a patent application for its ESL™ lighting technology. U.S. Patent Application Serial No.: 11/969,840 is for the system and apparatus for cathodoluminescent lighting, relating to the method of operation to create light via phosphor and a cathode, a key component of Vu1’s unique Electron Stimulated Luminescence (ESL™) clean, energy efficient lighting technology.

“The allowance of Vu1’s first patent application, one of 11 pending US and international patent applications that we have already submitted for our ground-breaking technology, is another very important step for Vu1, “ commented R. Gale Sellers, Vu1’s Chief Executive Officer. “With Vu1’s first preliminary order received, its first patent application now allowed, its manufacturing facilities operational and ready to ramp up, the Vu1 team is excited to be moving ever closer to delivering on the promise of its ESL™ technology. While we remain focused on securing additional orders for Vu1’s R30 light bulbs, I believe the biggest achievement will be securing UL Certification for our first product, which we expect to receive this summer, allowing us to transition to full commercialization of Vu1’s ESL technology.”

Video demonstrating Vu1’s Superior ESLTM Lighting Technology

Vu1’s ESL proprietary technology produces light virtually identical in quality to traditional incandescent light bulbs, as well as being highly energy-efficient. By contrast, the majority of currently available ‘green’ lighting technologies, such as CFL and LED, do not produce the same quality of light and can make skin tones look green and bluish respectively.

To demonstrate this superior light quality, a new video is now available for viewing on Vu1’s website. The video can be viewed at: [http://www.Vu1.com/ESLupdate]

About Vu1 Corporation

Vu1 Corporation is dedicated to applying its technology to produce energy efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting solutions worldwide. Vu1’s ESL™ Technology creates the same light quality as an incandescent bulb but is more energy efficient. There is no use of the neurotoxin Mercury (Hg) in the lighting process and the ESL™ Technology fits neatly into classic light bulb shapes similar to those familiar to consumers everywhere. This eliminates the need to bend the technology into an unusual, twisted spiral shape (CFL) or have costly and heavy heat dissipation designed into the bulb housing (LED). To learn more about Vu1’s technology, please go to: http://www.Vu1.com/

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain the necessary funding required for our operations, the future demonstration and commercial availability of our light bulb, timing for submission of our light bulb to certification and certification results, timing for bulb production, manufacturing capability of our facility, future interest of channel partners and distributors, our strategic planning and business development plans, future applications of the technology, the viability, pricing and acceptance of our products in the market. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, as well as the risks and other factors set forth in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and our other periodic reports as filed from time to time).

New Roles Reflect Company's Transition from Development Phase to Commercial Production and Sales and Marketing Focus

Seattle, WA - July 7, 2010 - Vu1 Corporation (OTCBB: VUOC), a developer and manufacturer of mercury-free, energy-efficient, general illumination lighting technology, today announced that Philip G. Styles, the Company's Vice President of Manufacturing and a Director of the Company's manufacturing subsidiary, Sendio s.r.o., has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Styles has also been elected to the Company's Board of Directors.

Mr. Styles has been with Vu1 since September 2007 and his role at Sendio, the Company's wholly-owned manufacturing division in the Czech Republic, has been instrumental in bringing Vu1's technology from prototype to a product ready for transition to full-scale manufacturing. Prior to Vu1, he worked for Sony Corporation for 14 years in various technical and managerial positions in production engineering. Mr. Styles has also held several other senior management positions including, most recently, leading a joint venture between LG Electronics and Royal Philips Electronics in the Czech Republic.

Additionally, Duncan Troy, one of the Company's Directors, has been appointed to the position of Non-Executive Chairman. Mr. Troy was elected to the board of Vu1 in February 2004 and previously served as Non-Executive Chairman from May 2004 to July 2008. He is also the founder and a director of SMS LOTTOME LIMITED, a UK cell phone lottery and gaming company and a director of the board of Private Equity III Limited, a UK investment vehicle.

"As evidenced by the recent preliminary order for Vu1's R30 Electron Stimulated Luminescence™ flood energy-efficient light bulbs, Vu1 is one step closer to realizing the Company's very significant potential," commented Duncan Troy, Vu1's Chairman. "Phil's promotion reflects both his contributions to date and his value to Vu1 in the future, given our focus now on building out the broader operational structure and team needed to support the Company's growth. As we move from pure technology development to full-scale commercial manufacturing and execution of a multi-channel sales and marketing strategy, I am delighted to be assuming the role of Non-Executive Chairman at this critical stage in the Company's evolution. I congratulate Phil on his well-deserved promotion and I look forward to working closely with him, the rest of the executive management team and the Board of Directors to help ensure we successfully capitalize on the opportunities before Vu1."

Business Update Conference Call

As previously announced, Vu1 has scheduled a Business Update conference call, on which Mr. Sellers will be joined by Philip Styles, Chief Operating Officer and Chairman Duncan Troy. The conference call will take place on Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 5:00 PM EDT (2:00 PM PDT/10:00 PM BST/11:00 PM CEST).

To listen to the Business Update conference call, participants in the US and Canada need to dial 800-374-2493 and international participants need to dial +1 706-634-7642. All participants need to provide the following access code: 86587723. A replay of the call will be available beginning two hours after the conclusion of the call until midnight on Friday, July 16, 2010. To access the replay, in the US and Canada, dial 800-642-1687 and for international participants dial +1-706-645-9291. Participants will need to use the same access as above: 86587723. On the morning of Thursday July 15th, a digital recording of the conference call can be accessed on the Company's website at www.Vu1.com.

About Vu1 Corporation

Vu1 Corporation is dedicated to applying its technology to produce energy efficient, environmentally-friendly lighting solutions worldwide. Vu1's ESL™ Technology creates the same light quality as an incandescent bulb but is more energy efficient. There is no use of the neurotoxin Mercury (Hg) in the lighting process and the ESL™ Technology fits neatly into classic light bulb shapes similar to those familiar to consumers everywhere. This eliminates the need to bend the technology into an unusual, twisted spiral shape (CFL) or have costly and heavy heat dissipation designed into the bulb housing (LED). To learn more about Vu1's technology, please view the video link http://Vu1.com/ESLupdate/ or go to: www.Vu1.com

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release includes forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, our ability to obtain the necessary funding required for our operations, the future demonstration and commercial availability of our light bulb, timing for submission of our light bulb to certification and certification results, timing for bulb production, manufacturing capability of our facility, future interest of channel partners and distributors, our strategic planning and business development plans, future applications of the technology, the viability, pricing and acceptance of our products in the market. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. The words "may," "would," "will," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's ability to control, as well as the risks and other factors set forth in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and our other periodic reports as filed from time to time).